Weekend Writing: Celebrating the Best Literary Mothers

Mothers are a wonder. They're strong, kind, funny, smart, and they touch our hearts, no matter what they're doing. They impact us in real life and between the covers of our favorite literary books. Literary moms have done it all--from helping fight crime to pioneering on the frontier and more. They provide goodnight kisses, moments of much-needed encouragement and advice--because let's be honest, moms always know just what to say to make everything better. It's what makes them so special.

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, I compiled a list of the best literary mothers. These moms should be celebrated, too. While they might be considered secondary characters, the protagonists couldn't survive without them. The books wouldn't be the same without them!

1. Marmee March, Little Women 

The 1994 film Little Women (photo/HelloGiggles).

We tend to forget about the mother of the March sisters, Marmee (Margaret) March. While their father is away during the American Civil War, the March women in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women must live without him. They get by just fine, mostly because of their strong mother, Marmee. She's the core of the family. She's the ultimate giving mother. She's gentle, a good listener, and she makes sure her four daughters have everything they need to make them happy.

She gives them the freedom to make mistakes--because she knows the value of those mistakes during our formative years. She allows her daughters to follow their passions and dreams, whatever it may be. If they need help, she's always there to offer her advice. She's the voice of reason and she teaches her daughters the importance of hard work and charity. The March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) grow up to be smart, strong, and kind women because of Marmee's influence. That's why she'll always be a favorite literary mother of mine. She reminds me so much of my own mother.

2. Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables

The 1985 televised mini-series, Anne of Green Gables (photo/Fandom).

Marilla Cuthbert wasn't supposed to become the adoptive mother of Anne Shirley in L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, but life has unexpected surprises. Marilla and her brother, Matthew, wanted to adopt a boy to help on the farm. Instead, Anne Shirley arrives and she causes so much trouble at Green Gables. The talkative redhead is nothing like what Marilla wanted, but maybe that's what makes their relationship so special: they learn from each other.

At first, Marilla is a woman of "rigid conscience" and has a tough exterior. She scolds Anne for practically everything the energetic and curious young girl does. She doesn't act very motherly, but as the story evolves, things change. Marilla realizes that you don't have to be so rigid. You can have fun and she learns that Anne is always trying her best to be respectable. Anne doesn't mean to cause trouble; it just happens to her. It doesn't take long for Marilla to love her like she's her own child. She softens to Anne's sweet character, proving that it is possible for two unlike people to love each other. Marilla may not be Anne's birth mother, but she becomes her mother, making her very deserving of a place on this list.

3. Molly Weasley, Harry Potter series

Molly Weasley in the Harry Potter series (photo/Tor.com).

You don't want to mess with Molly Weasley from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She's a woman not to be trifled with. She loves and fights fiercely. She may just be the mother of Ron, Ginny, and co., but she nurtures Harry and Hermione, as well, taking them on as her additional family members. She puts her life on the line to protect her kids--all of them--and that's why she's deserving of Mother of the Year Award. You can just feel her love through Rowling's text. She's downright impressive in every way. It's hard to find another strong-willed, selfless, and protective mother quite like Molly Weasley.

4. Ma, Room

Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay in the 2015 film, Room (photo/2Paragraphs.com).

Told through the perspective of a five-year-old boy, Jack, Emma Donoghue's Room focuses on Jack and his "Ma," who are held captive in an 11-foot by 11-foot room. Ma eventually sacrifices everything, even her life, so they can escape the "room." She wants her son to have a chance at a normal life. Despite her abduction and abuse, Ma fights to create a world for her son and does everything in her power to make their own world a much better place. She keeps his imagination alive and running while plotting their escape.

If that's not a good mother, I don't know what is. She fights hard for her son and doesn't care what happens to herself. She only wants him to live the life he deserves.

5. Suyuan Woo, The Joy Luck Club 

The 1993 film, The Joy Luck Club (photo/CAAMFest).

I'm naming Suyuan Woo because she's the founder of the Joy Luck Club, but any mother (An-Mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, and Ying-Ying St. Clair) in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club should be celebrated. The women leave their native homelands and come to America for one purpose only: to give their daughters what they hope will be better lives. Of course, the daughters don't always understand their mothers' decisions and this creates tension, but at the end of the day, these mothers only want what's best for their daughters. Their children don't quite understand exactly what the mothers sacrificed, but they did everything, including navigating issues of cultural identity, for their children. These strong mothers build up their strength and determination to hopefully pass down to their children. Those are wonderful mothers.

Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Baxter, Baxter Family series 

Roma Downey is soon to star as Elizabeth Baxter in the
upcoming television series, The Baxters (photo/Alive
Literary Agency).

Elizabeth Baxter in Karen Kingsbury's Baxter Family series is an honorable mention because she deserves to be featured, as well. While not everyone who reads this blog post has probably read the Baxter Family series, I didn't want to neglect one of my favorite literary mothers. Elizabeth Baxter is everything a mother should be and more. She's caring, devoted to her husband and children, and she always knows what to say to comfort her children in their many struggles.

She does everything for her children without even asking for a "thank you." To me, that's a good mother. She's the glue that holds the Baxter family together. So, spoil alert, when Elizabeth Baxter died of cancer, it was heartbreaking. She felt like a mother to me. She reminds me so much of my own mother. My mother is so caring and devoted to her children, and my mother shares many of the same personality traits as Elizabeth Baxter. It's like Karen Kingsbury knew my mom while she was writing the Baxter Family series. So, it was devastating when Elizabeth died. Everyone should be as lucky to have a mother like Elizabeth Baxter.

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(photo/The Modern Mama Jama)

There are many other wonderful literary moms who I love to read about. These strong women created even stronger characters. They're the backbone to these figures. We should show our appreciation to them more often. They are not "secondary" characters. They're important, too, so let's not forget that.

Finally, Happy Mother's Day to you, my readers. Whether you're a mother, grandmother, foster parent, legal guardian, or simply a motherly figure, remember that you are so loved. You are valued and appreciated every day of the year.

Happy Mother's Day to my own mother, who's reading this post because she reads every post I publish. I love you so much. You're like these literary moms and so much more. You're the star of my book.

-KJL-